Beauty Lessons We Learned from Mom

It behooves us to admit this, but mother really does know best—especially when it comes to best beauty practices. In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked staffers to share the time-honored lessons they picked up from mom:

“My mom taught me everything I know about style and beauty, but most of all she taught me to keep it minimal. Makeup is supposed to highlight your face, not hide it.”
— Molly Meacham, Lifestyle Merchant

3 of 15

“The best beauty advice that my mom has instilled in me is to always smile and never take yourself too seriously. Besides, smiles are infectious!”
— Courtney Ruscin, Lifestyle Marketing & Merchandising Merchant

4 of 15

“My mom always told me, 'Wear who you are.' It’s a lesson that I will pass on to my children and beyond. Feeling comfortable in your own beauty routine and style works wonders for the way you outwardly appear to others. Thanks, Momma!”
— Lauren Elsasser, Merchandising & Marketing Associate

“My mom has always had one rule: Look nice no matter where you are going or what you are doing. Her reasoning? You never know who you're going to see! Even if I am just heading to the gym or running some errands, I always touch-up my hair or put on some lip gloss. Whenever I bump into someone I think to myself, ‘Mom was right!'”
— Jenna Haley, Discovery Specialist

7 of 15

"My mom and I have the same dry skin, and she taught me that using a rich, moisturizing lotion is a must--particularly on hands and feet. There's always one lotion in the living room, another on her nightstand, and yet another tube or two around the house so she might put some on in a spare moment. My apartment is now the same way, so I never forget to slather on the good stuff. If not for her advice, my hands and heels (and the rest of me!) would be in a sorry state."
— Valerie Ross, Copywriter

“I've learned many things from my fabulous mother—but the most important beauty lessons she's imparted to me is to always use an under eye cream. I've been using an Olay one since I was 13(!) and I know I'll thank her when I'm well into my 30s and beyond. I've recently started to use the Control Corrective Collagen Eye Defense and I'm really into it.”
— Katie Callihan, Discovery Specialist

10 of 15

“One piece of advice my mother drilled into my head is to regularly exfoliate my skin. She actually introduced me to my first exfoliator Clinique #2 Clarifying Lotion and I still use it to this very day!”
— Sarah York, Discovery Specialist

11 of 15

“My mom always pushed sun safety as the most important tip for staying healthy and beautiful. She urged that we wear sunscreen every day, even in the winter, and to apply it frequently in the summer.”
— Taylor Hughes, Discovery Specialist

12 of 15

“My mom taught me that soaking freshly painted nails in ice water speeds up the drying process. I use this trick to this day!”
— Jaz Nsubuga, Manager, Brand Campaign Strategy

13 of 15

“There's one beauty habit I’m really glad I inherited from her: Moisturize every night and every morning. Thanks to her diligent hydrating, she has great skin!”
— Sandra Cuya, Manager, CRM & Email Marketing

“My mom has amazing skin. Aside from teaching me to stay out of the sun, she's always preached about the importance of a good eye cream. It's definitely worked for her—I think I might have more wrinkles than she does!”
— Meredith Stebbins, Editor & Senior Manager, Special Projects